Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to address Australian parliament
abc.net.au - 30 March 2022
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address Australian politicians at 5:30pm AEDT on Thursday, as Russia's war continues to rage through his country.
The Prime Minister and Opposition Leader will each welcome Mr Zelenskyy, before he makes the address via video link.
Parliament will briefly suspend to facilitate the address, and senators will gather in the House of Representatives for the speech.
Mr Zelenskyy has addressed the US Congress, Canadian parliament, British parliament and other parliaments around the world over recent weeks.
He has repeatedly called on supporters of Ukrainian sovereignty to "do more" to help his country resist the Russian invasion.
There had been rumours Mr Zelenskyy would address the Australian parliament during this sitting week, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison saying last week he would "welcome any opportunity for him to speak to the Australian people".
'The enemy has marked me target number one'
In a video shot recently on the streets of Kyiv, Mr Zelenskyy said he feared his life was in danger.
"The enemy has marked me as target number one, my family as target number two," said the President, dressed in khaki and flanked by his officials.
"They want to destroy Ukraine politically by destroying the head of the state."
Several assassination attempts have been made on Mr Zelenskyy, including one allegedly by Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov in early March.
Mr Zelenskyy's wife, Olena Zelenska, their 17-year-old daughter Sasha and nine-year-old son Kyrylo, remain in Ukraine in hiding.
"As every woman in Ukraine, now I fear for my husband," Ms Zelenska wrote in a series of messages sent through intermediaries to ABC America.
"Every morning before I call him, I pray everything goes well.
"I also know how strong and enduring he is. He is able to withstand anything."
Earlier this month, Scott Morrison pledged $70 million to buy military equipment and weapons for Ukraine as part of a coordinated Western effort to help its armed forces resist Russia's invasion.
"The overwhelming majority of that [$70 million] will be in the lethal category," Mr Morrison said.
"We are talking missiles, ammunition, we are talking supporting them in their defence of their own homeland in Ukraine."
The government is also putting around $35 million toward humanitarian support to help international organisations responding to Ukrainians fleeing the country and seeking asylum in neighbouring regions.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-30/volodymyr-zelenskyy-to-address-australian-parliament/100950530